Letters

April 16, 1991

Dec. 25, 1991

Dear Mom,

Merry Christmas. It's Christmas day here. Eve for you all. Anyway the sun is shining and the ocean is rough. We woke up at 3:20 this morning to stuff flying around in the berthing compartment as the ship was taking 45-degree rolls. It is now 10:25 a.m. and we are averaging 25 degrees with an occasional 30 to 35 degrees. The main deck is secured.

I hope you all had a better Christmas than mine. We had cold eggs and sausage, half-cooked French toast and sour milk for breakfast. A long way from oyster stew (what we usually have Christmas morning).

Oh, I heard a joke the other day. Do you know why the four branches of the service can't work together? Take the word secure. If you tell the Air Force to secure a building they will rent it with the option to buy. The Navy will turn off the lights and lock the doors. The Army will post a guard and the Marines will attack and hold the building.

Well anyway, I thought it was kind of funny. I just wanted to write and wish you all a Merry Christmas. I miss and love you all. Tell everyone hi for me.

Love

Tom

* Lance Corporeal Tom Cockrell, of the Marines, writing to mother, Barbara Cockrell in Urbanna, Va. while stationed somewhere in the Persian.